In 1998, Icon Health & Fitness acquired NordicTrack.[2] Since then, NordicTrack has thrived and the company continues to manufacture their classic skier, but this model is declining in popularity. NordicTrack treadmills are the top-selling brand worldwide. They also carry a full line of elliptical trainers and exercise bikes. In 2009, NordicTrack pioneered the incline trainer, a specialty treadmill that can reach an incline of up to 40%. These are some of their most popular machines today.[3]
In January 2019 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, NordicTrack released a hybrid of a virtual reality gaming product with an stationary bicycle. This system allowed integrated a virtual reality headset with "gaming 8-axis yoke" handlebars to gamify the workout. The propulsion in the game comes from pedaling the bike through various landscapes and sync with gameplay. The NordicTrack VR bike also comes with an iFit connection that automatically adjusts resistance, incline, and decline based upon commands from an online personal trainer.[4][5]
If per chance you follow the ultra-consistent ultrarunner Kyle Pietari, then you know that treadmill training is common practice for him. His social media shows several photos of him literally wearing two of his children while hiking on his NordicTrack x11i Treadmill. As a competitive ultrarunner, Kyle has been involved with NordicTrack. Kyle received an X11i Treadmill from NordicTrack in 2017 in exchange for his honest and unbiased feedback. As previously mentioned, the X11i is in the same incline-trainer group of treadmills at the X22i reviewed in this article, but it has a smaller touch screen.
I mean, they were the first ones to think about putting an incline/decline feature on an indoor cycle (found on the S22i), not to mention their incline trainers that can reach astounding incline angles.
UPDATE: NordicTrack is no longer selling the X3i incline trainer. The current lineup consists of the X7i, X9i and X11i. You can read the reviews of the newest NordicTrack incline models by following that link.
A great feature about this incline trainer is that it offers a 3D perspective over your workout, which makes the entire experience much more interesting. Also, by pressing repeatedly the Display Mode button, you are allowed to choose whichever mode you find appropriate. The information that will be shown regards:
In either of the cases, the process regards the same steps. After choosing the desired program, you must start the walking belt. The incline trainer will start moving while your hands hold the handrails.
At 55-inches long and 20-inches wide, the running surface of the T6.5 S can handle long strides and running at high speeds without too much fear of catching the side rails. It's not the largest tread we tested, but it isn't far off, and our testers felt comfortable running at any speed. It is capable of speeds up to 10 mph, so it is suitable for everything from walking up to a quick 6-minute mile pace. While that speed range should be adequate for most users, those who like to add some sprints into their workouts may be a little underwhelmed. Incline can be adjusted anywhere from 0 to 10% in 1% increments, so you can definitely incorporate some incline training and hills into your routine. We also found the FlexSelect deck cushioning to be quite effective at absorbing impact or providing a firmer running surface if you prefer.
The T6.5 S can be operated manually for any type of workout you choose, and it is easy to set a time, distance, or calorie goal. It also comes with 20 programs workouts to follow where it changes speed and incline for you, plus it works with the iFit app through your device and its Bluetooth connection. This gives you quite a few options to find the workout experience you want. It has integrated heart rate sensors in the handrail, although it can't connect to wireless sensors the way some other models can.
We think iFit is great for the experience it provides. Unlike some other apps that are mostly studio-style classes, the iFit trainer-led scenic workouts are quite different. They take place in beautiful locations all over the world with engaging trainers who provide prompts, tell stories, and give running and training tips. When using iFit, the T6.5 S adjusts speed and incline automatically based on the terrain and prompts of the trainer you're following for an immersive experience. There are a huge variety of locations, lengths of time, types of workouts, music genres, and trainers to choose from, with a filter to help you find the workout you're looking for.
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